croon means A soft, low-pitched sound; specifically, a soft or sentimental hum, song, or tune. It carries an Arena rating of 1672, earned across 3 head-to-head judged battles.
Among words judged in Lexicurio's Arena, croon ranks #471 of 13,218 for Words That Escaped Their Books, #778 of 13,218 for Most Malleable Words, #1,620 of 13,218 for Most Elegant Words, #2,289 of 13,218 for Most Vivid Words.
croon is pronounced /kɹuːn/.
Why “croon” is a great word
To hum or sing a song softly in a low, mellow, and often sentimental voice. From Scots and Middle English, probably from Middle Dutch crônen, krônen (“to groan, moan; to lament”) or Old High German chrônan, krônen (“to babble, prattle”), from Proto-West Germanic *kraunijan, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *gerH- (“to cry hoarsely”). First attested c. 1400. Unlike “belt,” which implies a performance of powerful, full-throated force, or “chant,” which denotes a ritualistic and rhythmic monotone, to croon is an intimate confession meant for the shadows. It is the voice that carries across a dim room with the cigarette smoke, the low murmur that soothes a fretful child, the private melody hummed over a sink full of dishes—a solitary comfort against the encroaching silence.
Etymology
The verb is borrowed from Scots croon (“to utter a deep, long-drawn-out sound; to utter a lament, mourn; to sing in a wailing voice, whimper, whine; to mutter or sing in an undertone, hum”) [and other forms], from Middle English cronen (“to sing or speak softly, hum, croon”) (croyn (Scotland)) [and other forms], probably from Middle Dutch crônen, krônen (“to groan, moan; to lament”) (modern Dutch kreunen (“to moan”)), or Old High German chrônan, krônen (“to babble, prattle; to chatter”), probably from Proto-West Germanic *kraunijan, from Proto-Indo-European *gerH- (“to cry hoarsely”).
The noun is partly:
* borrowed from Scots croon (“a lament, wail; mournful song; low murmuring tune; (obsolete) long-drawn-out sound”), from croon (verb): see above; and
* derived from the verb.
Cognates
* Mi
noun
- A soft, low-pitched sound; specifically, a soft or sentimental hum, song, or tune.“O, a’ ye Bards on bonie Doon! / An’ vvha on Ayr your chanters tune! / Come, join the melancholious croon / O’ Robin’s reed! / His heart vvill never get aboon! / His Mailie’s dead!”
- A continuous hollow low-pitched moan, as of cattle; a bellow.“Amang the brachens, on the brae, / Betvveen her an' the moon, / The Deil, or elſe an outler Quey, / Gat up an' gae a croon: […]”
- The low-pitched sound of a large bell.
verb
- To hum or sing (a song or tune), or to speak (words), softly in a low pitch or in a sentimental manner; specifically, to sing (a popular song) in a low, mellow voice.“He was crooning a song.”
- To soothe (a person or an animal) by singing softly.“[I]n his ill-remembered prayer, and in the fragment of the childish hymn with which he sung and crooned himself asleep, there breathed as true a spirit as ever studied homily expressed, or old cathedral arches echoed.”
- To hum or sing, or to speak, softly in a low pitch or in a sentimental manner; specifically, to sing a popular song in a low, mellow voice.“She was crooning, but I couldn’t make out what the song was.”
- To lament, to moan.
- To make a continuous hollow low-pitched moan, as of cattle; to bellow, to low.“Novv Clinkumbell, vvi' rattlin tovv, / Begins to jovv an' croon; […]”
- Of a large bell: to make a low-pitched sound.
Words closest in meaning
By meaning, not spelling — each word's AI semantic fingerprint, nearest first.
- dulcet 82% match — Sweet, especially when describing voice or tones; melodious. vs croon →
- plaintive 82% match — Sounding sorrowful, mournful or melancholic. vs croon →
- lilt 81% match — To do something rhythmically, with animation and quickness, usually of music. vs croon →
- warble 80% match — To modulate a tone's frequency. vs croon →
- drawl 80% match — To drag on slowly and heavily; to dawdle or while away time indolently. vs croon →
- mourn 79% match — To express sadness or sorrow for; to grieve over (especially a death). vs croon →
- besing 79% match — To sing of or sing about; celebrate in song or poetry; sing the praises of; praise; laud. vs croon →
- chantepleure 79% match — To sing and cry at the same time. vs croon →